Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Gen Xpletives

Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · Jul 19

Listen closely as Carl Sagan explains how regular people can create change!

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jul 19

Let’s GO! #jenanelsonforcongress

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jul 19

On my way to volunteer for Jena! She is everything Oklahoma needs. I’m also stoked to support a SE Okie! Let’s GO!

I hope to see you there!

Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jul 19

@50501colorado.bsky.social anything planned for 8/2? I’m coming to Denver that weekend and wanted to join a protest as I’ll miss the one in Oklahoma planned for that date.

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Real Impact

Oklahoma ranks LAST in regional per-pupil investment and needs $1 billion more annually just to reach average. Instead of fixing this, lawmakers are expanding vouchers that benefit wealthy families already in private schools.

#Oklahoma #EducationFunding 7/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Tuition Inflation

When Oklahoma expanded voucher access, private schools immediately raised tuition - reducing benefits for low-income families while maximizing profits. Classic market manipulation using taxpayer dollars.

#Oklahoma #SchoolChoice 6/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Zero Accountability

Oklahoma's voucher schools have NO requirements for:

❌ Standardized testing
❌ Curriculum standards
❌ Teacher certification
❌ Financial reporting
❌ Academic performance data

Public schools face intense oversight. Voucher schools? Nothing.

#Accountability 5/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Religious School Windfall

91 private schools participate in Oklahoma's LNH program - almost ALL are religious institutions. Top recipients include Victory Christian School and Trinity School. Your tax dollars funding religious education, no questions asked.

#Separation #Oklahoma 4/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Follow the Money

Oklahoma's voucher programs have diverted $38+ million from public schools over the past decade. The state funds voucher schools FIRST - before public schools get a dime. No mechanism exists to recoup funds if budgets are cut.

#Oklahoma #PublicEducation 3/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Personal Story

The LNH program was named after Gov. Brad Henry's daughter who died from a rare condition. What started as bipartisan support for disabled students has morphed into a universal voucher system draining public school funds.

#Oklahoma #Education 2/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Oklahoma's Voucher Timeline

🧵 OKLAHOMA THREAD: How vouchers came to the Sooner State

2010: Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships (disability-focused)
2013: Tax credit scholarships
2023: Universal Parental Choice Tax Credit ($5K-7.5K per child)

Oklahoma went from targeted to universal FAST. 1/7

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Still Operating Today

Despite criminal charges against all three founders, Epic continues operating with 53,000+ students. The damage? $150M+ in misappropriated funds. Meanwhile, traditional public schools serving 700K kids get budget cuts.

#Oklahoma #PublicEducation 8/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Enron of Education

State Auditor Cindy Byrd called Epic "the Enron of education" - the largest abuse of taxpayer funds in Oklahoma history. A grand jury said the system was "ripe for fraud" with zero oversight.

#StateAudit #EducationScandal 7/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Political Protection Racket

Epic donated $774,500 to political action committees, $520,000 to Capitol Gains, and funded campaigns to unseat critics like Senator Ron Sharp. They even sued Sharp for libel - and lost, paying him $500K.

#PoliticalCorruption #Oklahoma 6/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Personal Shopping Sprees

CFO Josh Brock paid himself $1.1M in "reimbursements" from the Learning Fund for personal credit card purchases. Chaney used $550K in Oklahoma tax dollars to open Epic California. Your taxes = their shopping money.

#Embezzlement #Oklahoma 5/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Epic Youth Services Cash Grab

Chaney & Harris created Epic Youth Services (EYS) to manage Epic Charter Schools. While Oklahoma law caps admin costs at 5%, EYS took 10% of ALL revenue - over $69 million since 2013. Pure profit for the founders.

#EducationFraud #Corruption 4/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Learning Fund Bribe

To recruit ghost students, Epic offered families $800-1,000 per child through their "Learning Fund" for extracurriculars. Teachers got bonuses for recruiting students. It was literally a pyramid scheme using taxpayer dollars.

#Oklahoma #PublicEducation 3/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Ghost Student Scheme

Epic founders David Chaney & Ben Harris created "ghost students" - kids enrolled at Epic but actually homeschooled or in private schools. These students got little/no instruction but Epic collected full state funding for each one.

#EducationFraud #Oklahoma 2/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Oklahoma's Charter School Scandal

🧵The largest education fraud in Oklahoma history
Epic Charter Schools became the state's biggest virtual school by 2020 - with 53,000 students. But it was all built on a massive fraud scheme that stole millions from taxpayers.
#Oklahoma #CharterSchools 1/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Bottom Line

School vouchers promise choice but deliver segregation and worse outcomes. They drain resources from public schools serving 90% of students while subsidizing private education for the wealthy. History repeating itself.

#PublicEducation #SchoolChoice 8/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

The Accountability Gap

Private schools taking vouchers face ZERO accountability requirements. No standardized testing, no curriculum oversight, no obligation to serve all students. Meanwhile, they can discriminate against LGBTQ+ students with impunity.

#Accountability #EducationPolicy 7/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Who Really Benefits

Studies show most voucher users were never in public schools. In Arizona, 51% of recipients come from wealthy areas. In Indiana, 60% are white families while Black participation dropped from 24% to 12% since 2013.

#SchoolVouchers #EducationEquity 6/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Academic Disasters

Louisiana's voucher program saw student math scores drop 0.5 standard deviations - WORSE than Hurricane Katrina's impact on learning. Indiana, Ohio, and D.C. all show similar patterns: vouchers consistently harm student achievement.

#EducationResearch #AcademicOutcomes 5/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Modern Promise vs. Reality

Today's voucher advocates claim they help low-income students escape "failing schools." But research shows the opposite: vouchers primarily benefit wealthy families already in private schools while harming academic outcomes for participants.
#EducationPolicy #Research 4/8

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Gen Xpletives @genxpletives.bsky.social · Jun 6

Massive Resistance

By 1969, over 200 "segregation academies" operated across the South, funded by state voucher programs. Seven states maintained tuition grants to incentivize white flight from integrated public schools. This was vouchers' ACTUAL origin story.

#SchoolChoice #Segregation 3/8

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